I was surprised at your editorial supporting lowering the voter age in Northampton without question. It is disturbing that no one has asked the residents who will be impacted by their decisions.
While I agree that there are very knowledgeable teenagers out there, aware of political issues, they have limited life experiences like paying property taxes, owning a house here, making a living on their own, etc.
I feel there is probably a hidden agenda for this — such as pushing through overrides. I do not feel these young voters should be able to influence this as they could vote in an override and take off for college, never feeling the pain higher taxes can cause.
I also wonder how and why this even popped up in our City Council without any discussion at all with the taxpayers. I don’t care for the idea of Northampton being a “lab.” The consequences can be particularly difficult especially for fixed-income residences.
This city already seriously reduced the amount they pay for health insurance for their retirees on Medicare. It was quite an impact with little notice. I can’t afford anymore price increases with all the taxes and fees.
Please do a bit of research to tap into the opinions of residents here and listen to them as well as to this group of teens. I suggest they work on someone’s campaign, hear concerns of voters.
Susan Farrell
Leeds